Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Mentioning that night she got drunk, Leda touched her nose with a hint of embarrassment.

"It was all my mom's fault, insisting I attend this so-called youth mixer. It was basically a speed dating dinner in disguise."

The young men and women were like items on display, laid out for selection.

Nola was great in every way, except for being a bit of a worrywart.

Going on about how 'unequal matches never work out' and 'love can't survive on empty pockets,' blah blah blah...

Leda was over it.

After the last visit home, she laid down the law with Nola: she could consider matches of similar social standing, but the final choice was hers to make.

In return, Nola had to swear off arranging any more blind dates or mixers behind her back.

Roseanne: "Choose for yourself?"

"Yeah, as long as the guy's family isn't broke, my mom's cool with it. Easy, I'll just pick from our circle!"

"You're really going to pick?"

Roseanne blinked.

a thing for "younger charmers," but to find one among these men who would dote on her, pamper her,

all from

softly, lowering her voice, "I have to choose, or I can't face my mom. But I'm not picking

are plenty of us in our circle being pushed into marriage. Since none of us want to follow our

we're together, and

their backs without the constant nagging, while still enjoying their freedom on the side. A win-win. Roseanne still urged her to think it through,

worry, I know

were finishing up, Roseanne seized the moment when Leda went

pouted, "I said it was my treat,

can't let you foot the bill every time. I'm not broke,

"Right, my little heiress."

so, she reached out to pinch

Keep your hands to yourself in public, it's not a

girls laughed their way through the lobby, heading

Reynolds, a moment,

instinctively look in the

of gray, neady all

at the center of attention stood

and handsome, he was a stark contrast